Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Saturday, slammed what he called “naxal mentality”. “For years, people with a Maoist ideology had established themselves in the corridors of power and influenced policymaking, including as advisers on government committees. In our jungles, we have been successful in weeding out Naxals with weapons. But those with naxal mentality are still around. They are threatening our society. We have to find and isolate these dimagi naxals,” he said.

PM Modi said that eliminating decades-old challenges that have held the country back is imperative. “Naxalism and Maoism have destroyed the future of millions of young people. They have snatched away the young sons of countless mothers and shattered the dreams of families across the country. For nearly four decades, Naxalism had held large parts of India and a huge section of its population in its grip, ruling through the barrel of a gun and tearing the Constitution to shreds. More than 3,500 of our police and security personnel sacrificed their lives while protecting ordinary citizens. Naxalism had turned the land red with blood.”

#IndependenceDay | “Need to identify and isolate ‘Dimagi Naxal'”: PM Modi

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Read the highlights of PM Modi’s Independence Day speech here.

“When you gave us the opportunity to serve in 2014, we resolved on that very day to free the country from Naxalism. Today, I am happy to say that Naxalite and Maoist violence no longer has the strength to sustain itself and is breathing its last. We are moving towards completely eliminating it. In areas where the bullets of Naxalites once rang out, where the soil was once stained with blood, today the same Naxal-affected regions are witnessing the tricolour of development, trust and endeavour flying high as they move towards becoming Naxalism-free.” “Hathyari Naxal to gaye lekin ye Dimagi Naxal mauke ki talash mein hain’ (the murderous naxals are gone but ideological naxals remain). These ideological Naxals are waiting for opportunities. They are trying to revive the paths of violence and anarchy and are making various attempts to drag society in the wrong direction. We must identify these ideological Naxalites and isolate them,” he said.

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President Droupadi Murmu in here Independence Day eve address to the nation, too, mentioned the challenge that Naxalism posed. “For decades, Naxalism had been a serious challenge for the country. Making India Naxal-free is a major achievement. Now, there is an atmosphere of enthusiasm in Naxal-affected areas, and development is reaching all sections of society.”

She highlighted Chhattisgarh’s Bastar to detail the impact of the fight against Naxalism. “A large number of players took part in the ‘Bastar Olympics’, and many artists showcased their talent in Bastar Pandum, which was enjoyed by a large number of people,” she added.